Sam Mendes in talks to helm James and the Giant Peach. Disney has begun the journey of creating a live action version of the classic story James and the Giant Peach, and Sam Mendes is in early discussions to direct.
James and the Giant Peach is another Roald Dahl story, written in 1961 and set in England. In this Cinderella-esque story, the orphan boy James Trotter is forced to live with his two evil aunts after his parents are killed by a rhinoceros. One thing leads to another and James accidentally magically enlarges a peach; things turn much more Alice in Wonderland when he enters the peach and encounters a number of adventures with his magical insect friends.
Highly grim for a children’s book, James and the Giant Peach has often been the subject of worry and criticism in the youth fiction genre, which might make it a curious candidate for a Disney film. However, DreamWorks recently released The BFG, another Roald Dahl story, and it’s possible that Disney is spotting a trend. Although The BFG received mixed reviews, it did seem to be successful in minimizing darker elements of the story.
Disney also has experience with James and the Giant Peach, having released a live action/stop-motion animated version of the story in 1996. This time around, though, the film will be completely live action. Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About A Boy, is in talks to pen the script.
Leave your thoughts on Sam Mendes and the James and the Giant Peach film (via Variety) in the comments section below. For more James and the Giant Peach photos, videos, and information, visit our James and the Giant Peach Page, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “following” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, or “liking” us on Facebook for quick updates. No official release date has been offered for James and the Giant Peach yet.